Shreve City Baptist Church

Matthew 3:1-2 3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,² And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

The first R has to be Repentance. This is not a very popular word in religious services today, probably because we don’t want to face the reality of our sinful condition. The prodigal son, of Luke Chapter 15, enjoyed his folly until all of his substance was gone. And, then, he came to himself. That’s the place where repentance begins.

 

The next R, though needlessly dreaded, is Return. The reception of a repentant person is warm with God and His fellowship. Both repent and return must take place before the final R is possible.

 

Each of us must search our own hearts to find where the last R, Revive, is needed. God will forgive us of our sins if we, but, ask. In returning to Him, there is always great joy. To be revived is to enjoy God’s great forgiveness and reconciliation.

 

Why do you suppose this is so difficult for Christians to do? Could it be that Satan makes sure we doubt before we take the action of repentance? Then Satan offers shame as a reason not to return. Thus, there is no revival. This is not God’s way. He has always been a God of reconciliation from Genesis to Revelation. Try it for yourself. Repent, Return, Revive!

 

In Christ’s Love,

Bro. Gene

 ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:18-20

 

Revival… much needed, yet very difficult to obtain.  The rebellious nature of mankind has been present since sin entered into the world in Genesis.  People rebel for a lot of different reasons.  None harbor any importance.  The importance of rebellion is the opportunity God gives us to repent.

 

John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”  Jesus came, born of a virgin, dwelt as a man with no sin, crucified for our sins, destroyed our sins in three days, and rose in victory!  This brings us to the here and now.

 

We are in need of a Spirit led revival!  As I preached in a recent sermon, I have drawn a circle around myself and asked God to bring revival into this circle.  My need for revival, to me, is most evident.  And, no one else can repent and turn to God for me.

 

If our church is to see revival, then, we must, as individuals, see the need for repentance.  Should God allow this revival, many issues that we face would simply dissolve.  For example, low church attendance would no longer occur at any of the meetings.  Finances would be abundant and joy would be indescribable.

 

God is desirous of our repentance.  The question is… “Are we?”  Are we ready to follow God’s Word, as in 2nd Chronicles 7:14?  If we are His people, will we humble ourselves?  Will we pray?  Will we seek His face?  Will we turn from our wicked ways?  Will we repent?

 

I cannot allow my life to be wasted in my efforts to follow God’s sovereign will.  Therefore, I will resolve to continue to seek repentance.  If you want to see revival, then, pray for your circle.                                  

 

                    Allowing the Spirit’s leadership,                                                                                                                                                Bro. Gene  

Romans 8:28 says : And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

 

This passage in Romans may be difficult to understand, for , whenever we have a problem we seldom think about it bringing any good. God’s plan for us is to bless us in all circumstances. We read in the book of James that tribulation produces patience and all of us could certainly use a little more patience. But, non of us desire tribulation to gain it.

 

 

 

Tithing is for those who desire to follow the Lord’s teaching concerning giving. In the Old Testament, it was required that ten percent of one’s income should be given to the storehouse of God. But, we find, in the time of David and Solomon, that people gave much more. In the Book of Acts, people gave of their substance, many times all they had.

The widow we read about in this passage, gave all she had. As we look at giving, we see a number of truths. Out of the abundance of the heart is where the true sacrifice comes. We must first realize God already has ownership of everything. Yet, He trusts us to use what He gives us in a proper way. It is said by many that ten percent of the church gives ninety percent of the money.

I’m a firm believer that giving is an act of worship. Numerous times throughout the Scripture we find people giving sacrificially to build the House of God. And, they even gave to rebuild a destroyed wall, as in the case of Nehemiah. I would encourage all of us to give. If we fail to give with a cheerful heart, our gifts will lose their value.

When we speak of giving to God, we should not overlook the giving of our time. All giving is a personal matter between the giver and his Lord. Before we get too far into this new year, have a conversation with God and follow His leadership in the giving of money and of time.

Praising God for the greatest gift ever given, His Son,
Jesus Christ!
Bro. Gene

A SURE WAY TO GET THROUGH A BAD DAY   ²² It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  ²³ They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.                                Lamentations 3:22-23

 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it looked as if there was no way out?  Most of us would have to say yes, because it is a natural part of being human.  We don’t have to feel this way, for there is an answer… put all of your trust in God!  Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations about God’s faithfulness.  We all, as Christians, have experienced God’s faithfulness in our lives.  Our problems are never too great for God to handle, but we must trust Him with our situation. 

 

As of late, it seems as if I have had to trust God’s faithfulness more than ever.  The good news is that He has once again proved that He is faithful.  God does not bring calamities into our lives, but He can certainly lead us through them.  I know I have worn the pulpit out preaching the message of prayer and reading the Word of God, and our difficulties in life are much of the reason.

 

You can come to God easier when you are in fellowship with Him than when you only call unto Him when you are in difficulty.  God enjoys fellowship with all believers and that is one of the reasons that we can always see His faithfulness.

 

Often we take for granted His day by day mercies and we are less than grateful for them.  When you call 911, you have faith that there will be a quick response.  When you are close to God, you know He also will respond quickly.  It may be that our problems will not be solved quickly, but, He will be with us instantly when we call for Him.  His presence makes any situation bearable.  Please join me in a renewed effort to protect our individual relationship with God.  I think we all will be surprised at the great difference it will make.                                   

 

     Trusting in God’s faithfulness,    

                                      Bro. Gene  

 Ninety-nine percent of all the things we worry about never happen.  Worry is a colossal waste of time and energy. Trusting God does not mean that we are to sit idly by, doing nothing.  The proverbs say, “If we don’t work, we don’t eat.”  But, if you have lost your job, God knows it and He will provide a way for you to make it.  I know about God’s provisions, for He has always provided all of my needs.

 In the year 2019, join me in learning to trust Him with all of our hearts.  Be ready for God’s blessings to overtake you when you least expect it.  And remember, though God is seldom early, He is never late.  

                                    Trusting in God,   

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”  Luke 2:11

 

It’s that time of year again when our minds go back to years gone by. We think of families and friends. Yes, and even sorrows. Many will not experience joy because they have not realized the true meaning of Christmas.

 

The prince of this world, Satan, will project sadness into every heart he can. And, yet, this is a time of God’s promise becoming a reality. Remember, that man is born in sin. And a blood sacrifice had to be made as an atonement for sin. The love God offers is beyond human comprehension. For He allowed His only Son, Jesus, to become flesh and dwell among us, and yet His Son knew no sin. Jesus, born of a virgin would become sin for us. And, as we place our lives under His control we are freed of our sin debt.

 

The true meaning of Christmas is the arrival of Jesus who would die for our sins. As our thoughts go to a manger in Bethlehem of Judea we realize God’s promise has become reality. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord, let us love one another and let us show our love to God by worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. Without Jesus there would be no Christmas. Nor would there be any joy. As we read the Christmas story from the second chapter of Luke, let us respond with thanksgiving and great joy.

 

May this Christmas be the most beautiful Christmas of your life as you reflect on God’s unchangeable love.

 

Merry Christmas to each one of you!

 

                                               Your humble servant,

                                                       Bro. Gene

How Good Is Your Word? And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 2^nd Samuel 9:7

 

King David was a man of his word. Many in his day marveled at his care for one of Saul’s descendants. Several things led King David to this loyalty.

 

First, he recognized that Saul was God’s anointed one. And, even when Saul attempted to take David’s life, David refused to do any harm to Saul.

 

Second, Saul’s son, Jonathan, was David’s best friend. He was like a brother to David. When David heard of the death of Saul and of Jonathan, he grieved sorely. King David would not have been obligated to Saul’s family in the eyes of other people, but David felt an obligation because of his relationship with Jonathan and his respect for God’s anointed. He and Jonathan were in agreement to take care of one another. Jonathan had warned David of Saul’s desire to kill him. Jonathan’s actions had save David’s life.

 

David’s integrity in what he had told Jonathan made his decision to take care of Saul’s descendants necessary in order to keep his word. Many people today allow the situation to dictate their actions rather than what they promised.

 

God expects us to be truthful in all of our promises. When we promise God to follow His ways and do His will, He expects no less.

 

Mephibosheth was Saul’s grandson, Jonathan’s son. David’s loyalty to him was from his loyalty to his father and grandfather. It was a surprise to Mephibosheth that David would treat him as one of his own sons. Mephibosheth’s place at the King’s table was secure. His inheritance was protected.

 

If we are to expect God’s blessings on our lives, then we need to be people who will keep their word. Even though others may not know or would ever find out about a promise we made, God always knows.

 

In a world of lies, God’s people need to be trustworthy. Let each of us examine our own hearts and ask ourselves this question, “Have I kept my word?”                                                                                                  

 

                                                                                                 Following God’s direction,                                                                                                                     Bro. Gene

DO YOU WANT TO SEE PEACE?

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 5:43-44
If we want to see peace in our lives, in our families, and in our world, we have to be willing to do some things Jesus told us to do. We know that we cannot have peace when all we do is argue. We must learn to submit ourselves one to another in Christian love.
As the people of God go, so goes the world. For Jesus has said we are to be the salt and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14). But, if we have the same anger issues that everyone else has, how can we peace?
God has given example after example of what a submissive nature should be like. If you want a real challenge, read the sixth chapter of Matthew, and put the principles Jesus spoke of in your life.
Too many Christians are known as Christians in name only. But, Jesus said if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments. In reality, this is more than any of us can do on our own. But under the direction of the Holy Spirit, it can be accomplished. Submission to Jesus first as Lord of our lives, then dependence on the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be able to accomplish real peace.
One day after the second coming of Christ, when Jesus establishes His millennial kingdom, there WILL be true peace. Scripture teaches that then the Lion will lie down with the Lamb. With all the evil we face today, this may be impossible for our world to obtain now. But, certainly, the harder we work at it, the better off we, and all those we come into contact with, will be.
Striving For A Peaceful Life,
Bro. Gene